October 28, 2011: The day the muffin myth died.
The $16 muffin myth, 38 days old, had a short but eventful life. Conceived by mistake due to a misreading of incomplete expenditure information from an August 2009 conference at the Capital Hilton in D.C., the $16 muffin was born in a Justice Department Inspector General report on September 20, 2011.The $16 muffin myth, or “Muffingate” as it was known, was quick to make friends, especially since it was born at just the right time. Thanks to conservatives like Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) talking it up, “$16 muffins” was plastered all over the Internet and Bill O’Reilly even mentioned it on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://talkingpointsmemo.com/?p=105115